Broken: The Final Chapters
by The Dirty Martini
Summary: The moments when we are at our weakest and most vulnerable are the moments when we need those that mean the most to us. Sometimes just knowing someone is there to help you through the pain gives you the strength to pull through. She became the strength he needed when life felt hopeless.
1. Chapter 18: Coming Full Circle

**Dear ff dot net: GO FUCK YOURSELF! You think you can stop me from posting the last chapters of my fic? FUCK NO! But guess what, this is the LAST TIME I'll be posting anything on your website. I hope you burn in hell. Sincerely, one very pissed off writer.**

**For those of you who would like to know where I've wandered off to, I'm now on archive of our own (AO3) under the username: chasethewind. I highly recommend joining that site. It's SO MUCH BETTER than this piece of shit! Also, I have the link to it on my profile, just in case.**

**I will only keep this story up for the next month, so please remember to find me on AO3 to read the rest of my fics.**

**Anyway, I won't keep you from reading this fine chapter. Sorry it's so long. Okay, not really, because I know you'll enjoy it.**

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**Chapter 18: Coming Full Circle**

_Let it slide_  
_Let your troubles fall behind you_  
_Let it shine_  
_Until you feel it all around you_  
_And I don't mind_  
_If it's me you need to turn to_  
_We'll get by_  
_It's the heart that really matters in the end_

_Our lives are made_  
_In these small hours_  
_These little wonders_  
_These twists & turns of fate_  
_Time falls away_  
_But these small hours_  
_These small hours still remain_  
_-"Little Wonder" Rob Thoma_s

It didn't take much to rouse Felicity from her slumber later that morning. The panic-stricken voices at the door had her cracking open blurry blue eyes to find Diggle, Thea and Doc all standing at the threshold. Looking up at Oliver, she found him to be awake, the angry look in his eyes pointed towards the trio softly talking nearby.

Felicity yawned before snuggling closer to his warmth. She nuzzled her nose against his neck then pressed a soft kiss just below his jaw. Oliver's hand came up to stroke her cheek as he kissed her forehead. It was the first time she'd actually noticed the splint around it, the soft edges of the gauze tickling her skin. "Good morning," he whispered against her ear.

"Morning," Felicity mumbled. "What's going on?"

"You've been a very naughty girl, Miss Smoak," Oliver chuckled. She felt his chest rumble beneath her and smiled. "You snuck out of your room, it seems, and they're not very happy about it."

"And I'd do it again if it meant falling asleep in your arms," she replied. "I know you'd do the same thing if you were me, so don't even think about calling me naughty, unless there were other non-plutonic circumstances involved."

He locked eyes with her as a smile crept onto his face. "I'm holding you to that," Oliver said, his voice low and gravely. She caught a glimpse of the desire that simmered in those darkening blue pools.

"As soon as we're both better, I promise to be as naughty as you'd like me to be," Felicity murmured before reaching up to capture his lips for a searing kiss.

"Seriously, Blondie?! We've had this conversation. You two need to get a room," Thea's voice seemingly came out of nowhere. Felicity pried her lips away from Oliver's, her cheeks flushing pink as she tried to hide her embarrassment for being caught again.

Above her, she heard Oliver reply, "I have one… You're all in it." She snorted, hiding her face against his neck to keep from bursting out in a fit of laughter. Felicity didn't have to look to see the scowl present on Thea's face. She could feel it boring into the back of her head. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to spend some quality time with my girlfriend."

Felicity's breath caught in her throat. Had Oliver really just called her that? Raising her head to stare down at him with uncertainty, she caught his soft smile and the truth reflecting back at her in his eyes. "Girlfriend?" she softly whispered, unable to trust her voice.

"You're looking at me like I've grown two heads," Oliver joked. "Yes, girlfriend, unless you want me to take you out on a date first."

Felicity didn't hesitate. She leaned in and captured his lips for another kiss. From behind her, she could hear Thea moan, "Ew! I am so going to need therapy after this…" Then the door clicked shut and they were alone.

"I wouldn't mind a date, but it's not necessary because you've already told me you love me," Felicity replied.

"And I do love you, very, very much," he whispered, pulling her in for another kiss. "You're the best thing that's happened to me, Felicity Smoak."

"You're the best thing that's happened to me, Oliver Queen," she said, leaning down for one more kiss. With her weight resting on her right side, Felicity drew her left hand up to stroke his face, ignoring the protest from her shoulder. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I love you so much. I can't wait to get out of here and spend however long it takes to recover just being with you."

"Then stay with me at the mansion," Oliver practically begged. He gave her the saddest puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen and her heart instantly melted. "You'll have anything and everything you need."

"Even you?" Felicity couldn't help but ask. He had a penchant for being just as sneaky as she'd been that morning.

"I promise not to leave the bed if you're still in it," he vowed, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

Felicity smiled and replied, "Then you've got yourself a deal, Mr. Queen." She nestled her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. There was no place she wanted to be than right here, right now.

Two days later, Felicity was released from the hospital. Although Oliver was stuck there for another week, she stayed the entire time, crawling into bed beside him every night and waking up with his arms around her every morning. Laurel had stopped by the day after Felicity's release to let them know the date and time for Tommy's funeral had been set for the following morning. That hadn't been the easiest news to swallow considering Oliver was in no shape to leave the hospital yet. He wanted to be there more than anything, but no amount of bribing the doctors and nurses would suffice for an early release.

The heartbreaking look in his eyes when he woke up the next morning had Felicity wrapped around him like a safety blanket. She made sure to stay within arm's reach just in case he needed her. At noon, after the nurse had come in with medications and finished the bandage change, she crawled into bed beside Oliver. Wrapping her arms around him as best she could, the tears began to flow.

Even Felicity couldn't help joining him. Oliver's pain had become her pain long ago and today she was going to do her best to comfort him. They cried together until the pain killers kicked in and he fell asleep, his head resting in the crook of her neck. She kissed his cheek and wiped away the last of his tears before brushing away her own. Within minutes, she'd fallen asleep as well, her fingers tangled in the short strands of his hair peeking out from beneath the bandage around his head.

Almost a week later, Oliver was allowed to go home. They'd spoken in length about what Tommy's death meant to him and his mission and their team. Although Felicity wanted nothing more than to get back to what they'd been doing, she respected Oliver's wishes to take a break for a little while. She knew his heart wasn't in it anymore. Hearing that Tommy had called him a murderer before he died had a way of breaking one's spirit. But Felicity knew with time, his heart would heal and that things would change. She had faith in him.

Thea stopped by that morning to drop off some clothes and with news that one of the guest rooms on the first floor of the mansion was ready whenever they were. When the nurse came in with Oliver's discharge papers, Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. They could finally put this chapter of their lives behind them. She helped him change into the sweats and t-shirt Thea had brought to the best of her ability before they were whisked away to the underground parking lot where Diggle waited with the car. It was much easier than trying to go through the front entrance and being assaulted by reporters.

The ride had been quiet with Oliver using her shoulder as a pillow and falling asleep well before they got to the mansion. Felicity didn't dare move. She stayed still, her head coming to rest against his as he slept. There was something about this peace she enjoyed. She knew it had everything to do with the fact that they were alive and together and finally happy.

When they pulled up to the front door of the mansion, there were no longer any protesters at the gates screaming for justice. All was calm and quiet. Felicity pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and whispered, "Hey, sweetie, we're home." It was an odd thing to come out of her mouth, but she knew wherever Oliver was, she'd find a home there too.

They were taken to a room to the right just down the hall of the grand staircase. Felicity hadn't had much time to really look around and get a feel for the place before she was being wheeled into their room. _Their room._ She could get used to that. Doc was waiting inside with their medications and to check on Oliver's bandages.

As Felicity changed in the overly opulent bathroom, she took a moment to get her bearings. She was still trying to get used to the idea that she and Oliver would be living together for the next few months, but the thought didn't scare her as much as she thought it would. Actually, she felt more comfortable knowing he'd be there beside her just in case her nightmares came back.

When she hobbled back into the bedroom on crutches, Oliver had already crawled under the sheets and was waiting for her, his head snapping up when he heard the bathroom door open. She had changed out of her yoga pants and t-shirt and into sweats and a zip up hoodie, her sling lying on over top and the splint around her leg hidden by her pants. Slipping beneath the covers so she lay beside him, Felicity let her head fall to the pillow before scooting even closer. With her body now pressed against his, she let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Warm, safe and relaxed, she gave in to sleep almost immediately.

This became their routine for the next month. The medications they'd been put on to manage their pain would leave them too exhausted to do much more than just cuddle even though there were days where sleep didn't come easy and they had time to talk to each other. Those were the days that stuck out in Felicity's mind. Oliver was very forthcoming with information in those rare unguarded moments.

One by one, he told her how he'd gotten each of his many scars. And with every story, her heart would clench in her chest as she listened to him recount the memories with vivid detail. There were several occasions where she'd begun to cry and he'd taken her face in his hands and kissed away her tears. "It's okay," he would whisper, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I'm here. I'm okay now." And she would kiss him, reassure him that she understood but it still broke her heart that he'd been through so much.

Felicity shared a few of her own painful stories from childhood and found that they upset him just as much as the stories of his scars upset her. But it gave them a much better appreciation for each other and deepened their trust in one another. Knowing what they'd been through seemed to cement their relationship to the point where Felicity knew there would be no turning back. She loved Oliver so deeply that not even death itself could break the bond they'd created.

Slowly but surely, their injuries healed. With physical therapy and a lot of determination, Oliver seemed to heal much faster than Felicity had. He was on his feet within six weeks while she remained bed-ridden, although now with a laptop and (another) new phone. Remotely accessing the QC servers and fixing what she could from bed, the rest of her minions in the IT department were left to their own devices and she hoped they weren't causing problems she would have to fix upon her return.

The Verdant servers were still offline, though, something she was glad for. Diggle had been back and forth between the house and the club the entire time, overseeing the construction crews that were remodeling the place. Felicity had made a few modifications to the lair and had given him the plans without Oliver's knowledge. It was a secret she didn't plan on divulging until she was sure he was ready to step back into the suit. For now, she was satisfied to be doing something that would keep her mind off her pain and the inability to get out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time.

During week seven, Felicity was finally given the go ahead to start walking around, albeit with the assistance of a cane. As much as she despised the thing, she was happy to be on her feet again. At first she could only make it to the bathroom, but after a couple of days, she ventured out of their room and began to explore the first floor of the mansion while Oliver was at the office trying to figure out how to save the company.

With Moira in jail paying for her involvement with what happened in the Glades, the company had fallen prey to a hostile takeover, something Oliver tried to stop to the best of his ability. When he returned that evening, Felicity had been sitting in bed watching reruns of Big Bang Theory while munching on a bowl of fruit Raisa had brought up not even a few minutes earlier.

"Hey, babe," she greeted him with a cheery smile that would normally cut through his brooding and earn her one from him, but today Oliver looked to be in one of his darker moods. Felicity sat up immediately, setting her fruit bowl on the nightstand beside the bed and standing up to meet him near the door. "Is everything okay with the company?" she tentatively asked as she reached out to place her hands against his forearms. They tensed beneath her touch.

Something was going on and when she glanced up to meet his eyes, Oliver looked away. "Hey, what's wrong?" Felicity asked, laying her right hand against his cheek. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, burrowing into her palm before turning his head to place a soft kiss against it.

"It's just… been a really long day," Oliver softly replied. The pain present in his eyes when he opened them again took her by surprise.

"You wanna talk about it?" Felicity wasn't letting up. She couldn't let Oliver stew like this. It was unhealthy for him. All she wanted to do was ease some of his suffering, but he was shutting down like he used to.

"Not really," he said, shedding his fitted black suit jacket and letting it fall haphazardly onto a chair beside the bed. He sat down on the mattress, kicking off his only shoe, the other foot still encased in a heavy black splint hidden beneath his pants, before pulling at his tie. It was dropped to the floor at his feet as Felicity maneuvered herself so she was standing between his knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against his shoulder then let out a deep sigh.

"I don't like seeing you like this," she murmured into the crisp white linen shirt. "It scares me."

His arms banded around her back, pulling her flush against his chest. "I'm sorry," Oliver's voice ghosted over her ear. Felicity pulled back and took his face in her hands, her thumbs softly stroking his cheekbones as she waited for him to continue. Although she knew fear had always been the best way to get him to open up, she hated that there was a need to use it at all. One day she hoped it wouldn't have to be like this; that he would open up to her without provocation.

"It's been two months since…" There was no need for Oliver to continue. Felicity knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Oh, sweetie," she breathed, wrapping her arms around him once more. Her heart went out to him.

"I just… I miss him… And I… I've been a terrible friend. I haven't even…" Oliver's voice trailed off as he sucked in a ragged breath trying to hold back his tears. She held him close, her fingers stroking through his hair in an attempt to calm him, but the sadness flowed in waves. Peppering his forehead with kisses, she tightened her arms around his neck.

"It's okay," Felicity whispered. "You're not a terrible friend. You're a wonderful friend, one anybody would be lucky to have." Her lips trailed along his temple and over his cheek until she reached his. The kiss was soft and exploratory, meant to gauge how receptive Oliver was to her affections. When he barely kissed back, she knew his self-loathing had kicked in and it would take a lot more effort on her part to ease his suffering.

"Oliver, listen to me," she pleaded, her eyes searching the depths of the shattered blue orbs staring back at her with such bleakness, her heart leapt into her throat. "You've been through so much these past few months. No one, not even Tommy, would be angry at you for not visiting his grave. You've endured your mother's betrayal, you've had to deal with injuries that nearly killed you, and on top of all that, now you have to deal with trying to save your family's company."

"That's still not an excuse," Oliver barely whispered back. "I didn't even go to his funeral."

"Because you couldn't go," Felicity reminded him. "You were recovering from a punctured lung and a cracked skull." He simply shook his head and avoided making eye contact with her. "Oliver, please don't do this to yourself. Life is a messy, complicated thing. Tommy knows you loved him. He knows if you hadn't been holed up in a hospital room, you would have gone to his funeral. You shouldn't blame yourself for the things you can't control."

"But it's been two months…"

"Two months full of hell on earth," she interrupted before he had a chance to continue down this path of self-deprecation. "I'm begging you, Oliver. I can't watch you self destruct. I won't let you. I love you too much to do that." Tears sprang from Felicity's eyes as her voice broke. He was already reaching up, his hands cupping her cheeks to wipe them away.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Oliver replied, "I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do," Felicity said with conviction. "You deserve me and my love and forgiveness for whatever sins you think you've committed. I forgive you, Oliver. I will always forgive you." And with that, she pressed her lips to his once more, and this time he kissed back.

"I love you," he murmured against them. "I love you so much." His mouth traveled down her chin and along the pale column of her neck until he reached her collarbone. Soft kisses drifted along her skin making her shudder. Felicity closed her eyes and sighed, leaning into him as his hands fell to her hips. They played along the silk fabric of the robe she was wearing, tugging at the tie that cinched it closed until the knot came loose.

From that point on, there was no stopping the heat that pooled low in her belly. She'd longed to be able to do this again. Her dreams of late revolved around Oliver making love to her in this very bed. Each soft kiss he placed against her skin sent little jolts of electricity through her body.

A soft moan escaped her mouth when his hands dipped beneath the silken fabric. Calloused fingers splayed over her abdomen pushing the robe away from her body until it barely clung to the curves of her breasts.

Soft lips trailed from her collarbone to the hollow of her neck, pausing there for a moment before continuing their downward trek while his hands moved up. When they brushed the bottom of her breasts, Felicity moaned again.

But Oliver didn't remain there for long. Instead of continuing their upward journey, his hands slid to her back, pulling her closer to him while the silk slipped open. It fell away from her breasts leaving them bare for his lips as they moved along the slope until one pert nipple entered his mouth. She mewled, her entire body set ablaze with lust and desire.

"Oliver…" His name fell from her lips in a low whisper. She arched her back, further pressing her breast to his mouth. He suckled and laved it with his skilled tongue until her body could barely take it anymore. That was when he moved to the other breast, lavishing it with the same affection as the first one.

Felicity reached out, her hands falling to his linen clad shoulders. The desperate need to feel his warm skin beneath her touch sent her fingers to his collar, popping open the first button of his shirt before moving downward. Deft fingers made quick work of the next three as he finally released her breast from his mouth. His kisses trailed back up until their lips met and she dipped her hands beneath the crisp white edges of his shirt, her palms landing on the hard planes of his chest.

It didn't take more than a gentle push to put Oliver on his back. As he gazed up at her, pale blue eyes smoldering with unbridled lust, Felicity slipped off the robe leaving her in only a pair of pink cotton boy shorts. Her fingers returned to the task of popping open the last buttons of his shirt before tugging it gently from where it was tucked into his pants. When they ran up his sides, he groaned, his eyes fluttering closed until her hands reached his shoulders.

The shirt was shrugged off then left to fall to the floor at their feet. Felicity kneeled down between his legs, her fingers finding the buckle of his belt and undoing that as well. His pants followed suit. She dragged the expensive Italian fabric down his muscular hips as he lifted them off the bed to help her. They were now both only clad in underwear and splints as she remained on her knees in front of him.

There was one thing she'd longed to do for a while now. Skimming her fingers along the taught muscles of his thighs, Felicity leaned forward, her lips pressing open mouth kisses to his abdomen. His fingers rifled through her hair encouragingly and she gazed up to meet blazing blue eyes and a gentle smile. She smiled back before laying more soft kisses along the edge of his black briefs. Delicate fingers played along the lines of his hipbones eliciting a groan from the man beneath her. She smiled, her eyes flicking up to watch as his head rolled back.

Kissing her way across the tight cotton fabric, Felicity felt him shiver with anticipation as her lips roamed over his hardening cock. As much as she wanted to strip him of his underwear, she restrained herself, instead drawing out the foreplay when his fingers tensed in her hair. A glance up found him clinging tightly to the bed sheets. He was literally in the palm of her hands, begging her with grunts and moans.

Felicity took pity on him. Her fingers dipped beneath the elastic band and pulled down the tight fabric until he was finally free. Wrapping them around the base, her tongue darted out from between her lips and she tentatively licked her way up the shaft until she was at his tip.

"Felicity," she heard him whisper above her, his voice strained and needy. A smile curled her lips and she did it again garnering the same reaction. When her lips closed around the head, the shuddering groan that reverberated through the room turned her smile into an impish grin.

Inching her way down his cock until he hit the back of her throat, Felicity hollowed out her cheeks, sucking gently as she came back up. His hips bucked at the sensation and she quickly drew back giggling. She repeated the action a couple more times until his breathing became ragged and he pulled her hair to stop her.

"You weren't kidding," Oliver panted as she sat back on her heels.

The brace around her left leg was really becoming a pain now. It seemed to be more of a hindrance than being helpful. Although the doctors had told her not to take it off unless she was taking a shower, tonight would be the exception to the rule.

"About what?" Felicity teased, the knowing grin widening on her face as she pulled at the Velcro straps and slipped the brace off her leg.

"About being a naughty girl."

She giggled again before blazing a trail of kisses from his navel to his lips. "I aim to please," she whispered.

"And please you do," he complimented with a lopsided grin. Their lips met for another series of languid kisses. His hands crept down her body until they reached the curve of her bottom. One hand began to knead the soft cotton clad flesh while the other swept between their bodies to the front of her boy shorts and dipped below the fabric.

It was Felicity's turn to groan when his fingers came into contact with her hot, slippery folds. She moaned into his mouth as they ran along her slit, coaxing her legs to open involuntarily. It was more than enough to give him access to her clit, which he flicked with his forefinger.

"Oliver!" she cried his name, grinding her hips against his hand in an attempt to get him to stroke her harder. Two months of pent of sexual frustration had Felicity doing things she wouldn't normally do. He was accommodating, though. It seemed Oliver felt the same way.

His fingers stroked strong circles against her clit and she felt the immediate pull of her orgasm. Felicity buried her face in the crook of his neck, her teeth nipping and biting the soft flesh. As he stroked harder, her hips rocked against his hand until the undeniable quivering began between her legs. Oliver slowed to a halt then, tugging away the pink cotton until she was completely naked above him.

Felicity whimpered her annoyance but didn't have much time to protest as she was flipped onto her back. His fingers were replaced with his mouth and immediately she cried out in response. Just as he had done with her breasts, his skillful tongue began its barrage on her clit, rolling around it as his hands intertwined with hers. She held on tight, her body reaching the edge quickly.

Her legs began to shake once more as the heat from her orgasm built surely and steadily. There was only so much more she could take before his name came spilling from her lips and her back arched upward. Her body exploded with such force that the wind was knocked from her lungs. Oliver held her tight, though, kissing his way back up to her lips when the quivering subsided.

Their eyes met and it took her breath away. Beneath the lust and desire she saw in those deep blue pools Felicity found the true depth of his love for her. She reached up, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. In a move that always made her heart flutter, he turned his head and kissed her palm. "I love you," Oliver murmured against her hand.

"I love you too," Felicity whispered back, the raw emotions permeating her voice as she spoke.

His hands came up to tangle in her hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for several delicate kisses. A sigh parted her lips when his right hand slowly moved down the side of her face, over her shoulder and along her ribcage until it came to rest against her hip. Her legs wrapped around his waist seemingly at their own will as his tongue slipped into her mouth and deepened the kiss.

His other hand remained tangled in her hair, thumb stroking over her forehead and temple as his kisses moved from her mouth to her ear. "You mean the world to me," Oliver said before pulling back slightly so he could look down at her.

Felicity smiled. "And you mean the world to me."

"I have something for you," he replied, pulling away from her to reach into the nightstand. She instantly missed his warmth, but he was back in her arms again within seconds. Gasping when Oliver presented her with a small blue velvet box, Felicity gave him a questioning gaze.

"You're not…?" Her heart felt like it was caught in her throat. They hadn't even talked about marriage, let alone their future, so she hoped he wasn't popping the question.

"No, I'm not proposing," Oliver said with a soft smile. "Although you could consider this to be equally important." She looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion. "Just open it." Flicking the top up, she found the box to contain a silver key. Another confused glance was shot in his direction and he replied, "I've wanted to ask you this for a while now, because we've basically been living together for the last few months… I want you to move in with me."

Felicity opened and closed her mouth several times and found that he'd rendered her speechless. Her eyes flicked between Oliver and the key as her heart thundered in her chest.

"So, is that a yes?" he tentatively asked, the hope so clear in his eyes that she couldn't help but stare at him for a few moments.

"You… you want me to move in here… with you?" Felicity had to repeat the words in order to understand them correctly.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm asking you to do," Oliver replied, still grinning at her.

Taking the key out of the box, Felicity discovered it was attached to a small silver keychain in the shape of an arrow piercing through a heart. She looked up at Oliver again, this time with a bright smile on her face and leaned forward to kiss him. "Yes," she whispered before pulling him in for a searing kiss.

His arms were around her waist in seconds, pulling her to his chest as he kissed back with equal intensity. "I love you," Felicity murmured against his lips. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Oliver replied, holding her face in his hands. "Now can I _please_ make love to you like I've wanted to ever since you crawled into my hospital bed?"

Felicity giggled, "Yes!" She threw her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers and kissing him. He nestled himself between her legs, his cock coming to rest against her lower abdomen as her right hand trailed down between their bodies and took hold of him. Positioning him at her entrance, she angled her hips up slightly. When he thrust into her, a shuddering groan escaped her lips, echoing through the room as her head rolled back against the rumpled sheets.

Dear god he felt incredible buried to the hilt inside her. All the while his lips planted kisses across her skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in until she didn't know where he ended and she began. Her fingers raked down his back as he pulled out then thrust back in slowly. When his teeth sank into the soft flesh just about her left breast, his name came spilling from her lips.

"Oliver!" she cried out, nails digging crescents into his lower back as their bodies moved in unison. He sat up grabbing her hips for better leverage, but his eyes never left hers. They continued gazing at each other as their bodies dipped and swayed, the beautiful heat building between them.

He thrust into her harder and faster until they were both sucking in ragged breaths. Felicity felt her orgasm overtake her within seconds, a loud, gasping cry escaping her lips as he continued to pound into her with fervor. But Oliver still had plenty of stamina left. He slowed his movements to a halt before rolling onto his back so she was now lying across his chest.

"Ready for round two?" he panted with a sly grin on his face.

"Oh, my god, Oliver, how do you have the energy?" Felicity replied, sucking in several ragged breaths before bracing her hands on his chest and sitting up. She moaned almost instantly from the way his cock pressed against her clit.

"Does it matter?" he chuckled, taking hold of her hips once more. His hands trailed up her abdomen until they were cupping her breasts.

"Fuck it," she muttered, rolling her hips as a form of revenge against him. It worked and a groan escaped his lips. Felicity leaned down until their chests were flush against each other before capturing his mouth for another kiss. "You're doing all the work," she added when their lips parted.

"I'm not complaining," Oliver replied before grabbing hold of her hips once more and lifting them. Holding them in place, he thrust up into her and she cried out. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder as he whispered into her ear, "Hold onto me tight."

A strangled laugh escaped Felicity's lips. "These were the exact circumstances I was hoping you'd say those words," she said, capturing his mouth for yet another kiss. They continued kissing as his thrusts increased with vigor until he brought her to the edge again. This time, though, he was also close to release. She could tell by the frantic pace of his hips slamming into hers.

"Come with me, Oliver," she murmured against his lips. With one final, almost violent thrust, they both came careening over the edge. Felicity collapsed on top of his chest, her body drained of its energy as her head rolled into the crook of his neck. His hand came up to stroke back the wet strands of blonde hair that stuck to her face.

"I love you," Oliver whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before throwing the blanket over their exhausted bodies.

"I love you," Felicity murmured into his neck before closing her eyes.

Sleep came easily that night. She didn't even wake up for her medications as she usually did around three. That was a feat in and of itself. When her eyes fluttered open the next morning, Felicity found it to be close to six. She was still sprawled out over Oliver's chest, his soft breaths ruffling through her hair as he slept peacefully beneath her.

Last night couldn't have been more perfect. From the love making to giving her a key to the mansion, it all felt like a sublime dream she still hadn't awoken from. But this _was_ her life, and Felicity couldn't help the smile that crawled onto her lips when she glanced over at the nightstand and found the silver key glittering in the early morning sun that peeked through the curtains.

This was a love Felicity had never known before. She felt it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and straight into her soul. It made her heart flutter in her chest just thinking about Oliver. She knew she was in deep, and she didn't care. The only thing she cared about was him and making him just as happy as she was. It was a concerted effort, but it was worth it to see a smile on his face. Now, how was she going to return the favor?

The idea hit Felicity well before she even got out of bed that morning. Oliver continued to sleep soundly as she got up and headed out of the room being extremely careful not to wake him while she slipped on her robe then grabbed her cane before heading out the door. She knew she should put her brace back on, but her leg didn't hurt that much and she was using the cane to get around so it was pointless in her mind.

The rest of the house was quiet until she reached the kitchen. That's where she found Raisa fixing breakfast and Diggle sitting at the small table in the corner reading the paper.

"Good morning," Felicity cheerily greeted them as she plopped herself down in one of the empty chairs.

"Morning," Diggle replied without looking up from his paper.

"Good morning, Miss Felicity," Raisa said from her post in front of the stove.

"So, Dig… I was hoping you'd do me a favor today," Felicity began without continuing the pleasantries.

When he put down his paper, she could see the skeptical look in his eyes. "What is it?" he slowly asked, almost glaring at her. Felicity had asked some pretty big favors from him in the past several weeks, from picking up medication refills to buying her tampons. This was far from the horror she'd subjected Diggle to. If anything, it was the exact opposite.

"Whatever you do, don't take Oliver to the office this morning. We're going somewhere else, somewhere he should have gone a long time ago," Felicity answered, and he knew exactly what she was talking about. Giving her a knowing glance, Diggle nodded his agreement and she hobbled back to her room finding Oliver still out cold.

The clock on her phone read 6:57am. His alarm was set to go off at seven. With a sigh, she crawled back into bed and nestled herself beside him. Soft kisses were pressed to his forehead and temple before traveling down across his cheek to his lips. When Oliver sighed and she heard the slight rumble in his chest, Felicity knew he was awake. She kissed him again and this time he kissed back. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his body.

"This is a much better way to wake up than with an alarm," he murmured against her lips just as his phone went off. Oliver reached over and shut down the offending device before returning his focus to kissing her.

"I know, right?" Felicity replied with a giggle when his lips found their way to just behind her ear. "So, are you feeling better?"

"Much," Oliver said as he gave her that glorious smile that he reserved only for her.

"Good." She placed one last lingering kiss to his lips before pulling away and getting out of bed. "Because we need to get ready for work."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Oliver pinned her with a look that said he wasn't about to let her leave the house, but she returned it with a glare of her own.

"Babe, I've been stuck in this room for almost two months. I need to get out of here before I go stir crazy! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love exploring the mansion and the library has certainly been a great find, but I can only read so many books! Besides, it'll only be for a few hours and I promise Dig can take me home if I get too tired," Felicity rambled as she rummaged through the closet to pull out a knee length emerald green cotton dress that would cling to her curves along with a fitted black jacket and one black ballet flat. The medical boot prevented her from wearing the other.

His exasperated sigh had her turning around and giving him a toothy grin. "You can help me wash my hair." She wasn't below bribing him with something that could lead to more sex. After all, last night had been the first time they'd done it since leaving Astoria and she wouldn't mind a little more fun in the shower that morning if he was so inclined to join her.

Oliver was already behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist before slipping beneath the silken robe to find the bare skin of her abdomen. A shudder immediately ran through her as she leaned into him. "If I did that," he throatily whispered against her ear before nipping the shell, "We might never leave the house."

Biting her lower lip to stifle a moan when his hands traveled up to cup her breasts and give them a light squeeze, Felicity pushed off his chest and tightened the cord around her waist. "Tonight" she said, turning around to give him a sly smile.

"Is that a promise?" Oliver called out to her before she disappeared into the bathroom.

"What do you think?" Felicity shouted as the door closed.

Half an hour later she was dressed and ready, her hair in a wet ponytail with only the barest minimum of makeup on her face. There was no need to look flashy today. Felicity wanted to be comfortable, especially with where they'd be stopping first.

They met in the foyer. Oliver had headed upstairs to his old room to get ready, letting her have some time alone before they left the house. She was excited to finally get back out into the world, even though it would only be for a little while. Some fresh air and sunshine were sorely needed.

When Felicity laid eyes on him, he was dressed in charcoal colored Italian suit that brought out the blue in his eyes. She could see just a tiny bit of the braces that circled his right arm and leg, but it was evident in the way he stood that he was still in a bit of discomfort. She didn't blame him. Her leg was slightly achy from last night as well.

Oliver wasn't a man to just take things lying down, though. He was a man of action. Having his ability to act quickly taken away irritated him to no end. But it would only be another week or so before the doctors allowed him to get rid of the last two things hindering him from his sense of normalcy. It was something Felicity hoped would bring him out of his funk a little more.

"Are you ready to go?" Oliver asked, knocking her out of her musings.

"Ready!" Felicity cheerily replied as she looped her arm around his and they walked out to the waiting car.

It wasn't long before they were on the road headed towards the city. Only when Diggle took a left instead of a right once they got to their exit did Oliver notice they were headed in the wrong direction. "Where are we going?" he immediately asked, his eyes cutting over to Diggle's through the rearview mirror.

"You'll see," Felicity replied with a gentle smile.

"Felicity…" There was a slight warning to Oliver's tone, but she chose to ignore it, instead slipping her hand into his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Do you trust me?" she whispered. He searched her eyes for several long moments before silently nodding his head. Squeezing his hand again, she said, "Okay, we're almost here."

Oliver glanced out the window and saw where they'd ended up. Felicity could feel him tense beside her as they passed through the cemetery gates. Within moments they pulled up to a more secluded section surrounded by tall oak trees. Diggle stopped the car and got out so they had a few moments to themselves.

"Work, huh?" Oliver glared at her, but she continued to smile at him unaffected.

"Last night, you really frightened me when you started to shut down. I know Tommy's death is a very sensitive topic. And I know how much you've needed to come see him, so I figured today would probably be a good day to do so," Felicity replied before biting down on her lip when he didn't respond. "Please don't be mad at me."

With a deep, shuddering sigh, Oliver dropped his gaze to their entwined hands. He gave her a little squeeze before those pale blue eyes settled on hers. "I'm not mad," he said softly. "I just don't know if I'm ready to do this yet."

"Of course you are." Her voice was encouraging as ever as she placed her free hand against his cheek. "But if you aren't, I'll understand. I know I shouldn't have kept this a secret…"

"No, I'm glad you brought me here," Oliver interrupted her. "You're right, I am ready. I'm just…" He sighed.

"I'll be right next to you the whole time," Felicity said as she stroked her thumb over his cheekbone.

They exited the car with Oliver getting out first in order to give Felicity a hand. She looped her arm around his using it as her support instead of the cane. That left her other hand open to take the bouquet of flowers Diggle held out to her. "Thank you," she mouth to him.

They hadn't even talked about this little detail, yet he'd gone out and done it on his own. Although they would never admit it out loud, Oliver and Diggle cared as much about each other as they cared about Felicity. Their little team was gradually growing into the small family she'd always thought of it as.

Together, Felicity and Oliver ambled towards the grassy hill upon which Tommy's grave sat beneath the shade of a single tall oak tree. The closer they got, the more tense Oliver became until she had to gently pull him the last few steps. Tangling her fingers with his once they stood in front of the reddish-brown granite headstone, Felicity gave him a few moments before stepping forward to lay the flowers at its base. When she stood back up, he moved forward to kneel down in front of it, his head hung low as his hand came to rest against the cool surface.

Felicity moved back a step or two so she could give Oliver a moment to himself. Her heart went out to him when she saw his shoulders begin to shake, but he made no move to call her back. So she stood behind him at the ready. A few whispered words floated to her ears, but she didn't understand any of them. They sounded Chinese, but she couldn't be sure.

After several long moments, Oliver finally stood up, his hands swiping the tears off his face before he returned to her side. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her flush against him. "Thank you," he whispered into Felicity's hair before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. She gazed up at him with a tender, reassuring smile.

"You're welcome," Felicity whispered back, tangling her fingers with his once more as they turned to go.

They were back in the car headed to the office in no time. Oliver remained silent the entire trip, his eyes focused out the window as the buildings flew by.

Curiosity got to the best of her and Felicity asked, "What did you say to him?"

There was a long, drawn out silence as he gazed down at her. His eyes were laced with trepidation making her wish she hadn't said a word. "A lot of things," Oliver finally replied. "Mostly that I was sorry and that I hoped he could forgive me for what I'd done and who I've become."

Felicity nodded. There were still so many other questions she wanted to ask him, so many things that were whirling around in her mind. The one thing she desperately wanted to ask him was if Tommy's death had made an impact on his mission to save the city. Would he put the hood back on or was he going to hang it up?

The questions must have been raging in her eyes because the next thing she heard was, "What are you thinking?" Oliver was staring at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

Felicity bit her lower lip still trying to figure out how to voice what was on her mind. Finally, she decided to just say it, consequences be damned. "Do you think you'll ever be able to go back to doing what we were doing before, you know…?" She purposefully left the rest of the question unasked, seeing the way his face darkened.

"I don't know," Oliver sighed. He looked torn and on edge. She let her hand fall to his knee and gazed up at him, eyes blazing with determination.

"If being around you has taught me anything, it's that you have this uncanny ability to bounce back from things that should have killed you; surviving on an island for five years, being nearly killed by the Dark Archer, your mother's bullet, almost dying in that building collapse," Felicity said. His eyes flicked away from hers, but she brought her hand to his chin and tilted it down so they were staring at each other again.

"Oliver, I know the last time we talked about this you pretty much shut down, but you need to hear it again. You're a good person, and since we've started working together, you've only become better. I've always known you've had it in you, to become the hero this city needs. It's right here." She laid her hand against his heart as her eyes pleaded with him to believe her.

There was a long silence between them as they pulled up to a stoplight and waited for it to turn green. Finally, he covered her hand with his and smiled that beautiful, heartwarming smile that he only shared with her. "No," Oliver whispered and suddenly she felt the tears spring from her eyes. Her heart broke that he was about to throw away all the possible good he could do until he said, "It's right here."

Cupping her cheek, he brought her lips to his and kissed her as a strangled sob-turned-laugh escaped her throat. He hauled Felicity into his lap, his arms banding around her waist to hold her tightly against him. Her head dropped to Oliver's shoulder and he whispered, "Thank you for believing in me."

"I always have and I always will," Felicity murmured against his collar.

Up in the front seat, Diggle cleared his throat. "Mr. Queen, Miss Smoak, we've arrived," he said, trying his best to keep a straight face, but the half smile she saw through the rearview mirror before he exited the car wasn't lost on her.

Felicity scrambled off Oliver's lap and did her best to readjust the hemline of her dress before the door opened. Paparazzi swarmed outside the tall office building waiting for any tidbit of information he could give them about the company, his mother, or (god forbid) his love life. The realization that she was about to step out of Oliver Queen's personal vehicle and straight into the line of fire had her heart racing and her head swimming. That was the one thing she hadn't planned on when they left the house that morning and now it was coming to bite her in the ass.

Panic suddenly overcame her and Felicity clamped down on his hand, her eyes begging him to save her from this. "Hey, you've been through a lot worse. You can do this. I'll be right beside you the whole time. You trust me, don't you?" Oliver had used her own words against her, something she couldn't fault him for.

Nodding, she softly replied, "Always."

"Then let's do this." Oliver rapped his knuckles against the window to let Diggle know they were ready, but not before placing a soft kiss to her lips in an attempt to calm her racing heart. He squeezed her hand just as Diggle opened the door.

Oliver left the relative safety of the car first, smoothing out the jacket of his suit before buttoning it up and extending his hand to her. For a moment, Felicity hesitated, but she realized he was right. She had been through a lot worse than this. Surviving the earthquake was definitely at the top of that list. Besides, the paparazzi would always be on their tail from now on, so she needed to get accustomed to them. Sucking in a deep breath, she took his hand and stepped out of the car.

This was officially the beginning of Felicity Smoak's new life as Oliver Queen's girlfriend. It would take some getting used to, but considering all they'd been through together, she wouldn't have it any other way.

They'd met each other seven months ago, Oliver already a little broken. When the Glades fell, they had turned to one another for comfort and healing. Through all the pain and all the sacrifice, they'd found a way to put each other back together. This shared bond was what made them stronger as a couple than they'd ever been by themselves. It was this bond that would forever link their lives together, growing stronger each and every day, and getting them through whatever life threw at them.

Felicity smiled up at Oliver as the flashbulbs went off. Yes, this was exactly where she needed to be, standing beside the man she loved and supporting him in whatever he did. Their life together had just begun. She couldn't wait to see what the journey ahead of them would hold.

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**_There may be one final chapter to this fic coming in the next few days. Hehe._**

**_And as always, please feed the muse! She THRIVES off reviews, something she hasn't been getting enough of lately so she's been lacking in motivation to write because of that._**

**_Thank you for all your wonderful feedback. I really do appreciate it!_**


	2. Epilogue: Promises

**This is it, guys, the final chapter of an incredible story that I'm proud to call my own. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

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**Epilogue: Promises**

Two weeks after Oliver had made his decision, the rest of Felicity's stuff was moved into the mansion and her old apartment was sublet to a nice young couple with a newborn. The mixed feelings that came with giving them the keys stuck with her even as she stepped into the room she still shared with him on the first floor. At least today she had other things on her mind.

The renovations to the lair were almost complete and the surprise she'd had custom made for Oliver would be hand delivered from the manufacturer at any moment. Felicity was glad he'd ducked out early that morning to head to the office. She really wanted to give it to him later that night after dinner.

When the doorbell rang, she scrambled to it before anyone else even had a chance. Opening the door, a tall, burly young man in his early twenties stood with a large case in his hand. "Miss Felicity Smoak?" he asked, his voice deeper than she expected it to be.

"That would be me!" She sounded too excited, even in her own ears. Felicity let the young man into the foyer and guided him to the table just a few feet away. The case was set down and unlocked, the lid opened slowly to reveal the product of her toils for the past month.

"One compound bow, custom made to your specifications," he began his spiel about all its features, but Felicity had lost interest the moment she laid eyes on it. This was perfect. It was exactly as she'd asked, down to the green and black camouflage pattern that perfectly matched Oliver's suit.

When the man picked it up out of the case and handed it to her, Felicity was a little stunned to see just how light and easy the bow was to carry. "Would you like to test it out?" he asked.

"As much as I would, I'd probably kill something with it on accident, so I'm just going to wait until the person I ordered this for gets home."

"Yes, ma'am. I just need you to sign this and you're all set."

Felicity put her John Hancock next to each "x" the man indicated on the forms he'd pulled out of his breast pocket and Oliver's new bow was now in her possession. Letting the young man out, she grabbed the case and headed back to her room to stash it under the bed so Oliver wouldn't see it.

The rest of the day was spent lazing around catching up on some server issues at the office then watching whatever happened to be on TV. Felicity had already caught up on all the shows she'd neglected while helping Oliver with his missions. Now with two more weeks of medical leave left, she was looking forward to finally getting back into the swing of things even though it terrified her at the same time.

After her first brush with the paparazzi, Felicity had learned a lot about nosy reporters and how they managed to find phone numbers just as easily as she found criminals. The first one who'd called asking for the inside story on her relationship with Oliver was immediately hung up on while the rest she left to go straight to voicemail.

That had been something easy for her to fix, but then came the deluge of phone calls from her mother asking when she'd finally get to meet this rich boyfriend of hers and how they'd ended up in that collapsing building. It was a conversation Felicity dreaded but continued to avoid like the plague. She was still trying to come up with the perfect cover story for that one that didn't involve illegally hacking into phone company servers and cell towers.

The only bright side to all this was that the medical boot was officially gone along with the cane. She was a free woman once again, allowed to roam the mansion from top to bottom to her heart's content. But for the most part, Felicity stayed in her room working on side projects that involved the lair. Of the few times she had ventured out, it had been to read something in the library or grab food from the kitchen.

Thea had stopped by on several occasions to get her to go shopping with her, but Felicity had refused. She didn't want to be front page gossip fodder and with Thea Queen by her side, it was almost guaranteed the paparazzi would find some unflattering angles to photograph them from. It was bad enough trying to get her mother off her ass when it came to meeting Oliver, but having her face splashed all over the tabloids would be disastrous.

When the door to the bedroom swung open, it knocked Felicity out of her thoughts and her head shot up. Her eyes immediately met Oliver's and a warm smile appeared on her lips. "Hey, you," she said before noticing the slightly dark expression on his face. The smile he graced her with let her fears drop almost instantly knowing that his mood had changed drastically now that they were together. "How was your day?"

"I rather would have spent it in bed with you," Oliver replied, shrugging off the grey suit jacket and letting it fall to a nearby chair as he always did. Taking a seat on the bed beside her, he kicked off his shoes as Felicity crawled her way towards him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her cheek to his shoulder while her fingers worked to loosen his tie before letting it fall to the floor at his feet. She then got to work popping open the buttons of his crisp white dress shirt.

Feeling the tension slowly ebb as her hands finished their task and slipping the garment away from his body to reveal nothing but gorgeously marred flesh beneath, Felicity planted several soft kisses against the back of his neck, trailing them over his shoulder until she could go no further. "Well, you're home now and this bed has definitely been very empty without you in it," she whispered into his ear before pulling away to settle into her mountain of pillows.

"By the way, thank you for keeping your promise," Felicity added. When he looked at her slightly confused, she smiled and said, "You promised me you wouldn't leave this bed if I was still in it and you haven't. Well, at least not until I woke up."

Oliver leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I always keep my promises," he replied. "How about I keep another one?" There was a slight hint of mischief in his pale blue eyes as he stared at her.

"What promise is that?" Felicity asked. He'd made a lot of promises to her in the past few months, almost all of which he'd made good on from helping her wash her hair to spending an entire weekend watching all the "great" movies he'd missed out on while on the island.

"It wasn't exactly a promise, but I did say I'd take you out on a date," Oliver answered with an impish grin.

Felicity laughed out loud. When his gaze turned serious, she said, "What, like, tonight?"

"Yeah, why not?" he shrugged, still grinning at her as if he was the cat that got the canary.

"Well, uh, for one thing, I've barely left the bed unless it was to get something to eat or go to the bathroom. I haven't even showered yet today," she replied, hoping he didn't catch on to the fact that she was lying just a little bit about her day. "Besides, you've seen my wardrobe. I don't have that much to choose from."

Oliver rolled his eyes and seemingly chose to ignore that one glaring fact, instead saying, "I don't think Thea would mind letting you borrow something. We're not going very far so you can dress comfortably. I'll even do you a favor and go get her."

"Oliver, you really don't have to…" Felicity started to say before she was cut off.

"No, I want to." Oliver gave her that sweet puppy dog look and she was a goner.

"But…" Her attempt to argue was half hearted at best. He already knew he had her.

"Don't argue with me. Just say yes." Oliver gave her the most heart melting smile he could muster, one that Felicity couldn't say no to, so she just nodded her head.

Rolling out of bed, she got up and headed to the bathroom. Just before the door closed, Felicity heard him call out to her, "I'll be waiting for you by the stairs in an hour!" She merely smiled before shutting the door behind her.

A shower was a must today, especially since she'd been too lazy to take one in the last twenty-four hours. It had gotten easier now that her shoulder didn't hurt as bad as it had those first few weeks. True to his word, Oliver had been the one to help her wash her hair back then. Now, with most of her mobility back, she managed to do it herself even though the muscle spasms would sometimes keep her from doing a good job.

After half an hour of fussing with not just her hair, but shaving as well, Felicity exited the bathroom freshly showered and teeth brushed. On the rumpled sheets of the bed sat Thea, makeup bag in one hand and a pretty powder blue cotton sundress in the other. "Hey, Blondie!" she greeted Felicity with a bright smile.

"Hey, Speedy!" She'd adopted Oliver's nickname for his sister as a bit of retaliation for the nickname Thea had for her, but after a few weeks, they'd grown accustomed to it. Now it was almost commonplace to hear them calling each other by their nicknames. "Long time no see."

"Yeah, if you count breakfast a long time," Thea retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Come on, Oliver wants you looking adorable so I'm doing your hair and makeup. No complaining!"

Felicity had to smile at that. Hearing Oliver wanted her to look cute was enough for her. Besides, it was always nice to have a helping hand, especially with her hair. "I wasn't about to."

They headed back into the bathroom and within half an hour, all was completed. Felicity's hair flowed in golden waves along her back and her makeup had been done to bring out her natural beauty with just a pop of fuchsia on her lips. The dress fit perfectly, and paired with a white cardigan and silver ballet flats, she looked as if she'd stepped out Kate Middleton's closet.

"You look stunning," Thea said with a smile as she hooked her arm around Felicity's and led her out to the foyer where Oliver was waiting. He, too, was dressed casually in dark blue jeans and a light blue cotton dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A shiver ran down Felicity's spine when she saw him. There had always been something about a man with rolled up shirt sleeves she found sexy.

"Hey, you," Felicity said with a smile as she walked up to him.

The grin on his face was infectious. "You look absolutely gorgeous," Oliver replied as he took her hand and spun her. With her hair down in waves over her shoulders, it swayed with her as she turned. He easily caught her in his arms when she stopped and held her close. "It's been far too long since I've seen you like this."

"Like what?" Felicity asked, grinning up at him as he gazed down at her with those soft, pale blue eyes.

"Carefree and happy," he replied.

"Then I'll let you in on a little secret," she said, gently rising up on the tips of her toes to whisper into his ear. "It's all you, baby."

There was no hesitation when Oliver leaned down and captured her lips in a soft kiss. Behind him, Thea cleared her throat and he and Felicity pulled back slightly to glare at her. "Be good, you two," she gibed before heading upstairs back to her room.

"Come on," Oliver said, taking Felicity by the arm and leading her to the left of the grand staircase towards the back of the house. She'd only recently begun to explore this other wing and hadn't gone very far, but tonight he led her farther than she'd ever gone to a set of French doors that led out to a beautiful stone patio. But that wasn't their final destination.

Walking down a winding stone staircase that led to the grassy back lawn, Felicity's breath caught when she saw where he was taking her. A few hundred feet from the house was a small pond and beside it a tall oak tree hung with thousands of glittering white lights. Beneath its leafy canopy sat a rustic wooden table set for two lit by an arrangement of pillar candles set between mason jars full of gloriosa daisies, dahlias, red valerians, and lavenders.

"Oliver," Felicity breathed as he pulled out her chair for her. "This is… Wow…" For the first time in a long time, words failed her. She gazed over at him to see the smile on his face illuminated by the soft glow of the candles.

"I think the last time I saw you speechless was when I asked you to move in," he replied, his smile widening into a proud grin.

"Yes, true, and therefore it's a rarity," she said. "You'd better cherish it because this probably won't happen again, at least not for a really long time."

"And then the babbling begins again," Oliver chuckled. She glared at him, but there wasn't much anger behind it.

Dinner was served a few minutes later by a man dressed in a chef's uniform; pan roasted stuffed chicken with red peppers, prosciutto and garlic confit in a roasted tomato sauce and russet potatoes paired with the perfect pinot noir. They enjoyed light conversation throughout, happy to be spending the evening out of bed and somewhere a little more airy. Although this wasn't the first time Felicity had ventured out of the house, it was the first time since their trip to the office a couple weeks back. It definitely felt good breathing in the warm summer air that surrounded her.

Dessert was a marvelous dark chocolate bunt cake with ganache glaze paired with a rich vintage port. Oliver scooted beside her so they could share. "Stop taking such big bites! Let me have a little!" Felicity whined when he nearly finished it all before she'd even eaten a forkful.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "Here, let me fix that." Slicing another piece from the tray, he placed it in her plate then grabbed a fork to feed it to her.

Felicity giggled when some of the ganache got stuck on her lip and he leaned over to kiss it away. "I could get used to this," she murmured when his arm wrapped around her shoulders and tugged her to his chest. His fingers played against the soft bare skin of her arm sending jolts of electricity down her spine.

Felicity could already feel it in the air. Everything had changed from the moment they laid eyes on each other in the foyer. Oliver hadn't been able to keep his hands off her since he'd sat closer to share dessert. His fingers continued to stroke her skin causing it to prickle at his touch, the hairs standing on end as if an electrical current was being passed through them. When his thumb settled at the nape of her neck and began drawing circles at her hairline, she shivered.

Turning to look at him, Felicity could see the way his eyes had darkened. Oliver felt it just as strongly as she had. In that moment, they became lost in each other's eyes. It wasn't until he set the fork down and leaned into her, whispering, "I have one more surprise for you," that she realized she'd been holding her breath.

"Huh? Surprise?" Felicity mumbled, her eyes locking with his once more before he pulled away to reach into the pocket of his jeans. She gasped when Oliver placed a small black velvet box on the table in front of her. "Are you…?" Her heart felt like it was caught in her throat. This was the second time he'd pulled out a box, and she really was hoping he wasn't planning on proposing tonight because even though they had discussed marriage, albeit once, they both were on the same page when it came to waiting.

"Like I said a couple weeks ago, I'm not asking you to marry me. Not yet, anyway," Oliver said with a soft smile. "Give me your right hand."

Staring at him skeptically for a moment, Felicity finally brought her hand out of her lap and held it out for him. Taking it in his, he placed a soft kiss against her knuckles and she blushed. When he looked at her, she swore those blue eyes had completely melted her heart with the way they were staring at her with such love and adoration. Her breath hitched when he opened the box and waited to see what was inside.

"Let me reiterate what I said earlier. I'm _not_ proposing." Before she knew it, Oliver had slipped a small silver ring onto her finger. Two gemstone hearts, one emerald and one amethyst, sat point to point with a two karat round cut diamond nestled between them. She gasped and looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's a promise ring," Oliver said. "I had it engraved."

Felicity took it off and glanced at the band. The inscription read, "A promise made." It was a phrase that had become synonymous with their relationship and she couldn't help but smile as she gazed up at him. "Oliver, I…" And for the second time that night, words failed her. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him.

"I promise," he said, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, "that when we're both ready to take this to the next level, I will get down on one knee and propose to you. For now, I hope this is enough to let you know that I love you and that no matter what happens, I'm not letting you go."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with fervor. His arms were around her waist in seconds, pulling her into his lap as he kissed back with equal intensity. "I love you," Felicity murmured against his lips. "I love you so much."

"I know," Oliver replied, holding her face in his hands.

"I, um… I have something for you too," she said.

Rising up from his lap, Felicity grabbed his hand and led him back inside to their room. She took the case out from beneath their bed and laid it on the sheets. "Open it."

She watched with nervous excitement as Oliver threw open the lid and finally saw what was inside. Holding her breath as he took the bow by its grip and inspected it, Felicity waited for his reaction. The unreadable expression on his face was killing her to the point where she finally asked, "How did I do?"

Oliver turned to her as a smile lit up his face. "It's perfect," he said then leaned down to kiss her. Felicity couldn't have asked for a better reaction. Her heart exploded with joy as she leaned over and kissed him once more. Oliver loved his new bow and she loved her new ring.

From that point on, their dynamic only strengthened. Although there were times when they fought about things, they still managed to work through their problems. The media had been incessant, especially when it became very apparent that Oliver was no longer the playboy of yesteryear. Rumors spread like wildfire about their relationship, none of which Felicity paid attention to. It was only when her connection to the vigilante came up did things really become a problem. Even still, that managed to boil over within a week and everything after that became routine.

Three years later, under that same tree with those twinkling lights, Oliver kept his promise. Beneath the inky black summer night sky, he rendered Felicity speechless with his proposal. This time, the ring was made of platinum with a three-karat marquis cut diamond flanked by two single karat emeralds. Again, he'd had it engraved. "A promise kept."

A year later found them in Astoria at the cottage that had brought them together. The intimate ceremony was held on the beach in midsummer with only their closest friends and family present. This ring was the simplest of them all, something Felicity had specifically asked for. The band was platinum to match her engagement ring and encrusted in diamonds. The inscription along the inside read, "A promise forever."

The ceremony had been simple, their vows written for each other. She wore a one shoulder white chiffon classic Greek style wedding dress with a beaded sash around the waist and strappy sandals. Thea had helped her pick it out. It billowed in the wind as Felicity walked. When she caught sight of Oliver at the end of the beach, she found he'd dressed simply as well, wearing cream khakis and a white linen shirt, the sleeves rolled up just how she liked.

Thea was her only bridesmaid, dressed in a coral colored dress that stopped at her knees, while Diggle was his only groomsman. But beside Oliver was an empty space where Tommy would have stood. Felicity had been the one to insist they do that, since he was still Oliver's best friend even in death.

When she'd made the suggestion a few nights before the wedding, Oliver had actually cried, something he hadn't done since the day they'd gone to visit Tommy's grave for the first time. He had kissed her hard, knocking the air out of her lungs before stripping her bare and making love to her on the bed they'd first shared together.

After they'd said their vows, dinner was served at sunset, a fitting end to a beautiful summer day. Amongst the friends and family that had gathered for their special day were Doc and Liv, sitting beside Moira and Thea. Even Laurel had managed to make it out there with someone she'd apparently been seeing for over a year now. He was a sweet man by the name of Josh Andrews. With short sandy colored hair and soft grey-green eyes, he stood tall and quiet beside Laurel, his fingers seemingly always intertwined with hers.

Even Roy had been allowed to attend. His affections towards Thea had only grown since his second brush with death, something Oliver could no longer deny. Slowly but surely he'd learned to trust the younger man with his sister, something Felicity had played a major role in. She'd been the one to stick up for Thea, speaking on Roy's behalf even though he continued to pester them about finding out who the vigilante was. She was working on giving him his wish, but Oliver still hadn't warmed up to the idea yet.

Once dinner had been finished, the back patio was cleared to make way for a dance floor. The long table they'd gathered around was separated into several that now line the perimeter. As the first strands of soft piano filtered through the air, Oliver took Felicity's hand and let her out to the middle of the floor. Illuminated by thousands of tiny tea light candles, it reminded her of the night he'd made his promise.

Tears of joy welled in her eyes as she gazed up at her husband. The song they'd chosen as their first dance was one dear to her heart. From the moment she'd heard it on one of her Pandora stations, Felicity fell in love and when she'd had Oliver listen to it, the smile it brought to his face proved he was just as smitten with it as she was. Now, as it played through the speakers, her head fell to his shoulder as she closed her eyes and let him take the lead.

_This is my love song to you  
__Let every woman know I'm yours  
__So you can fall asleep each night, babe  
__And know I'm dreaming of you more  
__You're always hoping that we make it  
__You always want to keep my gaze  
__Well you're the only one I see, love  
__And that's the one thing that won't change__  
_

"I love this song," Felicity murmured against his shirt as her arm came around his waist and she pulled herself closer to him.

"You know how to pick 'em," Oliver replied with a smile. He nuzzled her hair then kissed her forehead.

_I'll never stop trying  
__I'll never stop watching as you leave  
__I'll never stop losing my breath  
__Every time I see you looking back at me  
__I'll never stop holding your hand  
__I'll never stop opening your door  
__I'll never stop choosing you babe  
__I'll never get used to you__  
_

"It's true," Oliver whispered into her ear. She gazed up at him, slightly confused to find his smile turning into a wide grin. "I don't think I'll ever get used to you."

Felicity giggled. Pulling her hand free from his grasp, she let his fall to his cheek. "I hope not," she said, running her thumb over his cheekbone. "Because I don't ever wanna get used to you. That's what I love about you. You're always finding ways to surprise me."

"Just like you." Oliver then leaned in and kissed her. The collective "aw" that resonated from the crowd had her blushing in an instant as Felicity buried her face in his shirt. They finished out the rest of the song without speaking another word, only kissing every once in a while, their bliss evident on their faces.

After the father/daughter, mother/son dances, they stole away for a few minutes, walking down the beach hand in hand for a little quiet time to themselves.

"This was perfect," Felicity whispered as she leaned against Oliver's side.

"It was perfect," he echoed her sentiment with a soft smile before kissing her forehead. They stopped for a moment to look out across the glittering ocean waves.

"Who knew this place would bring us together," she said, glancing up at him. Her hair rustled in the light breeze, a sea of gold in the fading sunlight.

"I'm glad I brought you here," Oliver replied. "That was the second best decision of my life."

"What was the first?"

"Going to your office with my 'computer problem.'" A grin spread out over Oliver's lips as he gazed down at her, those pale blue eyes reflecting the last of the sun's rays and making her heart melt. He leaned down and kissed her. "You know, I never got to thank you for everything you did for me while we were here."

"I think you did," Felicity said with a soft smile. "You married me, after all. There's no better thank you than that."

"I can think of one." And with that, he kissed her again. "I love you, Mrs. Queen."

"And I love you, Mr. Queen."

* * *

**_Thank you for all the wonderful feedback you've all given me. I appreciate all your comments even after this story was taken down and I had to post the last two chapters like this. Please keep in mind, I have switched to AO3, so if you're looking to read more from me, please check out my profile for the link._**

**_Thanks again for all your wonderful feedback. I truly do appreciate all your kind words._**


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